Christmas in Greece is also made up of traditions that are different from the United States. The Greeks traditionally decorate boats around Christmas time. They also decorate trees, which is a foreign custom to them.

A Christmas dinner consists of lamb or pork served with cheese pie and vegetables. On Christmas Eve, loaves of Christopsomo (Christ’s Bread or Christmas bread) are made to be eaten on Christmas day. The bread is flavored with cinnamon, oranges and cloves, decorated with a cross. Presents are given to children from Saint Basil on January 1 which is St. Basil’s Day. There is also a St. Basil’s Day cake called Vasilopita. In the cake is a coin and whoever gets the coin in their slice of cake is supposed to be lucky for the whole year.

Greece is 4,993 miles away and the Christmas spirit still lives, no matter the distance.